Volleyball

KU volleyball ranked No. 8 in preseason poll

Kansas sophomore Ainise Havili concentrates as she makes a set during the Jayhawks' volleyball match against in-state rival Kansas State Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015 at the Horejsi Center. The Jayhawks bested the Wildcats, 3-1, and improved to 13-0 on the year.

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With a powerful senior lineup that includes three All-Americans, the Kansas volleyball team will enter the season ranked No. 8 in the AVCA coaches poll, released Wednesday.

The Jayhawks, who have eight seniors, are led by Big 12 preseason player of the year Kelsie Payne, setter Ainise Havili and outside hitter Madison Rigdon.

Four teams on KU’s schedule were ranked in the preseason poll, including No. 1 Texas. The Jayhawks will host No. 14 Kentucky, No. 25 Purdue and No. 9 Creighton during the same week at Horejsi Family Athletics Center in early September.

KU will start the 2017 season on the road against North Carolina State on Aug. 25.

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Comments

Maybe the NCAA will seed us a lot more fairly than they did last year. Regardless, would love to see this team win it all in the upcoming season. Women's volleyball needs a little more coverage than it has gotten in the past.

Jumpin Gee Hossa Fats. - - - - - We are hosting # 9 - - - # 14 - - - & # 25 all in the same week.? - - Mercy that's not doing us any favors is it? - - I'm looking for another great year from the ladies, didn't realize we had 8 seniors - but it's fine - -I think we are at a point where the program is well established enough, the ladies are here to stay. - -Gonna been fun watching this group, our matches with Texas especially. - -You right we need more coverage of this top program. Give them love, they deserve it. - -I'm ready - -let's rock ladies. - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY

I couldn't have imagined how exciting it is to listen to radio broadcasts of the games until I started somewhere towards the end of the 2015 season. Derek Johnson calls the play-by-play action, and the guy is flat-out awesome. These games are now absolute musts on my calendar. I have no doubts about Havili (as great as she is, still underrated, in my opinion), Payne or Rigdon. Just hoping we can adequately fill the shoes of Cassie Wait, Maggie Anderson and Tayler Soucie.

Studs coming back, then add in EXPERIENCED talented tall transfers who played in other P5 conferences, tuff schedule, and you have one of the best teams at the Kansas in many moons. If there was a year this is it. Last year we lacked some size on front line.

Payne and Manning both the best in their respective sports, both Champions in KC